A Summer To Remember
by hannahmontana30
Summary: It’s summer, there’s no school, and the Wildcats have the beach to enjoy. Gabriella and Troy are lifeguards, Chad is a waiter, Zeke is a cook, and the list goes on. Read about the adventures of their lives. TxG
1. Prologue

**A/N: So this is just a preview. If you like it, we continue. If you don't, we won't. This was co-written.**

Gabriella smiled genuinely as she gazed out at the wide sapphire expansion of deep waters. She surveyed its inhabitants, which seemed like mere dots from her post, making sure that they didn't drown or get eaten up by sharks. The yellow sun was balmy and intense, beating down on her harshly in the boiling summer heat. Her toned back was scorching in the immense summer roast, and she felt like she was sitting in an oven. The skinny fire-red live saver float lay across her lap, an aid with double use as she leaned over the plastic-coated sponge and squinted out into the sea.

"Hey, Gabi." Gabriella whipped around at the familiar voice, grinning widely at the sight of her boyfriend, decked in his lifeguard and ready-to-save-a-life swimsuit on. He shook the sandy hair out of his, joining Gabriella on the lifeguard stand, playfully nudging her as a signal for her to scoot over.

"Hey, Troy," Gabriella replied finally, her cheeks becoming rather rosy with flush. She couldn't help but break out into giddy smiles whenever he was around.

"Not much action around here, I'm guessing?" Troy asked knowingly with a sigh, his eyes scanning over the vast cobalt waters. Gabriella shook her head, sighing.

"Well, I mean, that's not such a bad thing, is it?" Gabriella smiled leisurely, twirling a lock of dark hair between her thin fingers. Troy nodded understandingly, his eyes decreasing to slits as he squinted in the steaming sun. He looked over at his gorgeous girlfriend, taking a second to appreciate and fawn over her natural beauty. Thoroughly entranced, he smiled admiringly at the way her ravenous tendrils flowed down her back, her mesmerizing chocolate eyes glinting in the sweltering rays of sun. Sweat beaded on her burning forehead, and throughout all the hardships of such excruciatingly high temperatures, she still managed to look flawlessly beautiful. A pleased grin burst on his attractive face at thought of his adversity. He had no idea how he was so lucky to have her. "Stop staring, Wildcat," Gabriella smirked cheekily. "I can feel those eyes boring on me. What are you thinking about?"

"No, I was just remembering…I was meaning to tell you…that while I was coming down here, I saw Taylor check in to the hotel," Troy answered, quick to dodge her smart remarks and switching the subject. It seemed to work as he braced himself for his fellow lifeguard explosion of excitement.

"Taylor's _here_!" squealed Gabriella ecstatically, her wonderful mocha eyes engorging in eagerness at the pleasing news. She loved her boyfriend more than anything, but she hadn't seen her colleague since the last day of school. And considering it was July third, that was an awfully long time for the two eternal best friends. They chatted on the phone and kept in contact by email, but that was no match for the authentic one-on-one, face-to-face interaction.

"I was wondering after work if you want to have dinner together—and she's gone…" Troy heaved a tired sigh as he watched Gabriella's tiny figure sprint back to the hotel, his sizzling forehead crinkling as his shoulders dipped low. He wasn't even sure if she heard him. Troy rubbed his neck, swiveling around on the splintery wooden bench and peering out into the endless cerulean ocean, which seemed limitless and empty of boundaries. He just wanted to get through the long hours. Save a few lonely lives, rescue an old lady from a shark, salvage a seven-year-old from drowning, and then lecture the burdened lot about the dangers of the water. Oh yes, it would be an extremely eventful day, just like all the others. Troy glanced briefly at the clock tacked up on the marina wall, only just a few yards away, biting his lip anxiously at the time.

Ten o'clock. It was only ten o'clock. Twelve was lunch. Three was break. Five was the end of his shift. Troy knew this would be an especially long day. He wanted to ask Gabriella to dinner. He wanted Gabriella all to himself, for just one night. They always seemed to be interrupted. They never got alone time—time for themselves. Troy was strongly determined to have her alone for the night, despite any of their friends' objections. It just didn't seem fair. Troy was bringing Gabriella to dinner, and that was that. He was going to find a way. He had to, and no one could change his mind.

"Hey, Troy!" Troy glimpsed down below him to see who had produced the sickly, feigningly sweet voice, and was not surprised to see Sharpay, sporting a striped tennis dress with so many gems and sparkles that it was blinding. Troy groaned internally the instant he saw Sharpay peeking up him, and she smiled in an almost evil way. "Hey, Troy, what are you doing? How many lives have you saved today?" she probed testily.

"N-None," Troy squeaked queasily, his dislike for the wealthy Ice Princess skyrocketing at an alarming rate.

"What?! Do you just…let them _drown_?!" Sharpay sputtered in disgust, throwing up her arms for effect. Troy wiggled in his seat, feeling tremendously uncomfortable in the platinum blonde's presence. "What?! Am I _bothering _you, or something?!" Troy knew very well that if he said something to annoy Sharpay, Sharpay would complain, and he would be fired. And _that _certainly could not happen. He needed this job. He needed this money. He needed to be around Gabriella as much as possible. Even though they would be close in distance, they would be too busy with their hectic college schedules, and Troy was trying to take advantage of their much more free itineraries now while he could. "So…?!"

Troy didn't answer, jumping down from the wobbly lifeguard stand and setting the plush live saver float on the side. He hastily jogged over to the marina, ignoring Sharpay's screeching protests and quickly informing Jason to instruct Kelsi to cover up his shift. Troy simply couldn't take it anymore. He just couldn't. His head was spinning wildly with thoughts of Gabriella. He just wanted to see her. He needed to. He couldn't wait until possibly five o'clock. That was insane, and he knew he perish before then. Troy raced to the hotel, his feet sinking in the sand as he sped through the beach, down the cluttered boardwalk, and finally into the marble-floored, air-conditioned lobby. He immediately took the elevator up to the sixth floor, his and Gabriella's floor, charging into room 6901 and throwing open the door.

Troy felt his stomach flip at the amazing angelic sight of Gabriella, perched on the bed and flipping through magazines. He swore that she was glowing, a magical radiance emitting from her petite form. He barely noticed the dark-skinned girl to her side. Troy didn't waste a moment, running over to Gabriella and engulfing her in an enormous hug, Gabriella's magazine falling to the floor as she smiled and wrapped her arms around him in response. Troy buried his face in her hair, inhaling her perfume and pulling away to peck a kiss to her lips.

"You couldn't even wait fifteen minutes?" Gabriella murmured tenderly, her face an inch away from his.

"I just had to ask you—Do you want to have dinner tonight? You know, just us? _Alone_?" Troy asked bravely, gulping at the exhilarating glimmer to her eye.

"Of course! Troy, that would be absolutely lovely," Gabriella whispered, closing the gap between them in another loving kiss. They didn't notice Taylor, whom was still seated on the bed, and she suddenly grew very awkward and uncomfortable as she watched her two friends begin to heat up.

"Um, G-Gabriella! Troy!" Taylor stammered embarrassedly. Her face was beet red when they didn't stop, and she rolled her eyes, exiting the room and dialing Chad.

"Chad?" she asked longingly. "Why aren't you as romantic and caring as Troy?"

"Because I'm not whipped!" Chad sniggered on the other line. "I mean, come on Tay, that boy has it so bad, he'd jump off a cliff for that chick."

Taylor suddenly felt a stab in her chest. "And you wouldn't for me?" she whimpered.

Chad sighed, immediately knowing he had made a serious mistake. "Listen…how about lunch is on me today?"

"Chad, that's not the _same_!" Taylor burst into tears, and Chad felt his throat seal, as he had no idea what to do. He was clueless when it came to girls and relationships. That was not his department.

"Um, well…I'll talk to you later…um, Taylor," Chad muttered quickly before snapping his phone shut and tucking it away safely in his pocket. Taylor, however, was infuriated on the other end, her breathing irregular, as she knew what she had to do. She had had enough of this. She was breaking up with Chad Danforth.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? **


	2. A Thoughtful Swim, Fight, and Picnic

**A/N: Hope you like it! Sorry for the wait. Again, this was co-written. :D **

What was Taylor going to do? Was Chad really not worth her time? Maybe it was really so, as sad as she felt to think about it.

She sighed resignedly as she strode along the perfect, picturesque beach, her cluttering thoughts evading with the gentle tides that washed upon the fine sand, wiping away her consuming worries. She could feel the soft grains threading in between her toes, her bare feet soaked with brackish water as the waves crashed against her flesh up to her ankles. The summer atmosphere was stuffy and humid, the blistering hot air smug against her flushed bronze skin. Yet, a playful whirl of wind gusted past her nose, plucking cheerily at a coil of her midnight hair, riding along lightheartedly with the occasional balmy breeze. The intoxicating aroma of salt from the ocean seemed to invigorate her senses, dominating some superiority in her body and suddenly supplying her with this mysterious energy of longing. The driving type of vigor that just catapulted her into urgent want, in need, to do something significant and drastic.

And so there she was, her thoughts, no matter how much she had tried blocking them to, rocketing back to her so-called boyfriend. Did he really deserve the title to begin with? When they went to parties, Chad never hesitated to introduce Taylor as his girlfriend. Honestly, Taylor admired the fact that he was open about her to the public, that he didn't care about her social status. But it was more than just that. It was more complicated. It had to be. Right?

Or maybe not. Maybe it didn't have to be as complex as it was made out to be. Maybe it was, in truth, simple. And maybe the more she thought about it, the more intricate and problematic it seemed. But how was that going to help her? Maybe she had to look at the whole troubling dilemma from a higher view, a bigger picture. Maybe that would help? Maybe it call came down to the deciding question: Did she want him or not? Yes, right? Right? It scared her that she didn't have a definite, defiant answer. Maybe that was a real signal that she should leave him. If she were unsure, it would be best to have space from him, as to avoid new problems to arise. Was she saying she was going to break up with him? Maybe. Maybe not.

And maybe she should just stop saying maybe.

She would ask Gabriella for some input, word, advice. Gabriella always had a good comment or two to support her with that extra push forward and that additional step closer to conclusion.

The yellow sun beat down on her back harshly, heating her skin as intensely as if she were in an oven. The temperature seemed to abandon its steady climb, abruptly shooting up to what felt like two hundred degrees. Taylor unconfined a haggard breath of relief, peeling off her tank top and jean cutoffs and flinging them casually to the dry sand, not wasting a moment as she waded fearlessly to the deeper layers of the dark waters. The cool sea splashed across her in a refreshing manner, causing the heat coursing through her to vanish almost immediately. She wallowed below the top thin surface smoothly, blending in between the thick sheets of water effortlessly. It felt so good to be cooled down like this, and how lucky she felt to be there at that moment, no matter if Chad was giving her a confusing time.

Chad. Chad, Chad, Chad. Her blithe thoughts disappeared just as quickly as new worrying thoughts of Chad zoomed unexpectedly into her mind. Chad, Chad, Chad. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? It didn't matter how hard she tried. His cheerful image always just seemed to pop into her brain at the most unpredicted of moments, though it never bothered her. Until now. She wasn't bothered…more paranoid, really. The more she thought, the more thoughts that lead to Chad, which meant that provoked more thoughts of Chad. Which guided her straight to more agonizing and stressing about him. It was a repeating cycle, and it was bugging her to no end. She just wanted to repair that little crack in their relationship. Because it was just a crack? Right? Nothing more? She surely hoped so.

Taylor flickered open her large chocolate eyes wide in the sapphire expansion, noting a tiny, tangerine-colored fish race past her, its little fin flapping. She nodded appreciatively at the little creature, wondering how lucky it was not to have to deal with stupid issues like boyfriends, college, and money.

"Boo!" shouted a voice behind her suddenly. Heart pounding madly, Taylor swiveled around in shock to see Chad himself treading in the water in front of her.

"Chad, what are you doing here?" she ordered tersely, her tone coming across as more demanding than she meant. She automatically regretted her slightly angry manner with him.

"I just came down to surprise you," he answered sweetly, a silly, satisfied grin slopped onto his face. It made him look like an idiot clown, Taylor decided. And she loved him for it.

"Are you trying to be more like Troy?" she inquired fishily, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Maybe…"

"But _Chad_!" She fumed suddenly, without even planning to. Chad's expression changed from giddy to confused in one mere second, and he took a few scoops of water back, giving his girlfriend the few feet of water they needed between their bodies. Taylor felt like she might cry. Her forehead crinkled as she rubbed her face in futile attempts to calm her fury. "You can't just…_copy _Troy, and then _expect _everything to be okay! For me to forgive you! For me to actually think, that _maybe _this was a thoughtful idea of yours! Something that came straight from your heart." She paused, boiling tears making her hoarse throat choke terribly. "Something original. Something that shows me that you actually _care _about me."

Chad looked absolutely heart broken, and it wrenched at Taylor to see him so emotionally ripped. "But I do care! That's why I'm trying to make this better! That's why I'm doing this!"

Taylor seemed to find some sort of reasoning in his desperate answer, yet she couldn't help but feel like that didn't suffice. "Well, I'm sorry, Chad." She took a few skilled strokes nearer to the shore. "If you want me, you need to show me truthfully. I can't just hang around and wait forever for you to become mature. It's now or never, and it has to be that way. I'm sorry, but I had to do it sooner or later. And well…I chose sooner. So step it up," Taylor replied crisply, swiftly swimming back to the shore, snatching her clothes, and sprinting back towards the hotel.

"Who've you been talking to?" Chad hollered after her hollowly, though knowing she'd never respond even if she heard him. "Gabriella?" Chad felt his spirits sink, as well as his ruptured heart. He muttered gruffly under his breath, "I knew that Scholastic Decathlon champion was a bad influence on you."

--

Troy's mouth hung ajar at the stunning sight of his girlfriend, showcasing the loveliest little sundress, the cutest color combination of tart lemon yellow and deep turquoise-green splattered on the thin material. Her natural, midnight curls tumbled down her back freely, her angelic face sparked with just the smallest touch of light makeup. Gabriella's magnificent dark eyes seemed to glimmer especially that enchanting July night, the unique color of them a mysterious shade lighter, as if symbolizing that she was secretly especially contented to be in his company. There was just that addicting glow about her, something that drew Troy in and made him want her, badly. And he never wanted that to go away.

"Wow," he breathed out entrancedly, his absorbed eyes lingering on her bashful form. She smiled shyly in response, her own curious orbs trailing up and down his chiseled athletic figure. Troy grinned at her gleefully, that familiar spangle twinkling in his cobalt eye, as if recalling a secret to her that only they knew. The basketball captain reached up a rigid hand to delicately touch her gorgeous hair, placing a straying ringlet behind her ear. "You look beautiful," he whispered tenderly against her face. He felt Gabriella smile timidly against his skin, like she usually did, a little trickle of giggle emitting from her mouth. "Come on," Troy began affectionately after pecking her a kiss. "Let's get going."

"Ooh, what does the Wildcat star have in store for me?" Gabriella joked as they made their way down the exquisite lobby of the grand hotel. "What date has he spent eons stressing over for, making sure every little detail was completely perfect? What strings as he pulled this time? How many hours overtime has he had to work to earn enough money for it?" Troy felt himself blushing, and he good-naturedly pulled his girlfriend closer by the waist. Gabriella, on the sly, felt bad that he "wasted" all of his well-earned money on her. Even though she knew it was his personal choice, she couldn't help but feel bad. And also scared that Coach Bolton would hunt Troy down for spending the money on her instead of college savings.

"Come on," Troy continued with a knowing smirk as he led his girlfriend through the hotel exit door. "We can't be late."

"Late?" Gabriella asked excitedly, her elegant features brightening radiantly at the little clue. "You mean, we're going somewhere where we can actually be late? When you meant by dinner, I wasn't sure what to expect…I-I mean you always do some extravaganza, but I totally understand if it's just an ordinary—I mean, just a simple…or, um, just a dinner," Gabriella covered quickly, internally smacking herself for the careless error. Gabriella bit her lip as the stupid blurt repeated over and over again in her head. Troy suppressed a laugh at her preoccupied ramble. He always did more than he had to when it came to her. Or, really, anything. But either way, she didn't care what they did as long as she was with him.

"It's not a complete, full-blast extraordinaire this time," Troy apologized regretfully, automatically wishing he had prepared something much more elaborate, even though he knew that he didn't need to impress Gabriella. It's not that he had to. It's that he wanted to. He wanted to show her how much he truly cared for her. Of course, showering her with gifts and spoiling her with over-the-top dates was not exactly an honest heart-originated way to show her, but it was a start. Troy was nervous and tentative with his deep feelings and sharing them. Of course he was. Wasn't everyone? He knew he needed to trust Gabriella with those things. He knew that it would be easier to love her when he did finally open up to her. But that could wait for the moment. Right? "I'm sorry, Gabi," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her ear, the first spot his lips had found.

"Oh no!" Gabriella interjected hopefully. "Th-That's not what I—what I mean…I just…God, you've spoiled me rotten, Troy Alexander Bolton. I don't know what I was expecting. But for a change, a calm and quiet picnic or something of the sort would suit perfectly." Her voice volume declined considerably as she persisted with a further reflection. "That's what I wanted…what I was hoping for, actually."

"Well, you're a lucky one," Troy chuckled charmingly. "Because that's what I prepared for us."

It was like someone had just told Gabriella she'd won the lottery. "What?! Really?" Her striking face was scintillating with happiness. "God Troy, you really do know me." She leaned her body against his and buried her face in his hot neck, his strong arms coming to wrap around her in a loving hug. "So…picnic. Where?" She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as the couple continued to promenade down the mostly closed and empty boardwalk, eager to reach their destination point. The anxious waves rolling against the vacant shore was effortlessly heard above all, filling the silence between them, which unsurprisingly, was comfortable for the both of them. Her velvety voice had softened tremendously when she spoke hesitantly again, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be!" Troy answered almost immediately. "Please, Gabriella. It's my fault that I spoil you like I do." He slithered a muscular arm around her skinny shoulder and smushed her petite body against his, placing a warm kiss to the top of her head in the way that just felt biologically right. "Come on now, we can't miss the limo. The guy told me that he wouldn't wait more than a quarter after the time I called him for."

Gabriella grinned gaily, running a hand down his chest as she added, "So Mr. Hopeless Romantic really can't go without doing one overdone act, aye?" Troy was gleaming brilliantly down at her, his tantalizing cyan eyes transfixed on her and her graceful beauty.

"Come on," Troy joked laughingly as he tugged at the thin fingers of her tiny hand. Gabriella erupted in adorable giggles as she followed her enthusiastic boyfriend to the awaiting limo at the end of the extensive boardwalk, their fingers casually intertwined.

"Oh my goodness…_candles_? And…a-and all this? Troy, you really can't…" Gabriella was in immediate awe at the sight of their picnic laid out across the lush grass once they'd exited the limo, which had gone to park a couple blocks away. "You shouldn't have…" Troy glimpsed a look at Gabriella's shocked, exasperated appearance, noticing a few heartfelt tears pooled in her vivid eyes. He felt his heart jerk at the image, his arms reflexively enveloping around her. The pair sat down on the silky blanket, Gabriella comfortable in her boyfriend's roomy lap. "You know what?" Gabriella started seriously, a hint of tears evolving in her strained voice.

Troy anxiously pressed her warm form closer to his. "What, baby?" Gabriella chewed the inside of her cheeks so hard that she felt that recognizable coppery taste of blood on her tongue.

"You are too good for me," Gabriella whimpered without intending to. "I don't deserve you. You deserve someone ten times as better."

"What?" Troy couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "That's…complete nonsense, Gabriella. You know I love you more than anything." Gabriella's jaw dropped automatically, and Troy's eyes widened as he realized.

He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that.


End file.
